For the past four days many of you who might have attempted to access The Register found yourselves wanting. Reports have popped up stating The Register is accessible from time to time, but each time I've tried it I get the message “URL could not be resolved” or something similar. The Inquirer has them listed as AWOL. Recently The Register was forced to cut one-third of its staff, and the thought crossed my mind that they might be going under. I seriously doubt this, though, as I've contacted Mike Magee of The Inquirer (who still holds a sizable stake in The Register) and he didn't mention anything. For someone who has a domain registered as TheRegisterSucks.com, I think he'd be forthright about it. :) So, I doubt they're going under … but, it is interesting. It's most likely the result of something simple, like a bad piece of hardware or a faulty network router. We'll keep checking on them to see what we can see.Rob Note: Rick put an item up about this yesterday but I passed over it as I was able to get to The Reg … then I wasn't, then I was again, and now I can't get there. I'm not sure why it's intermittent for me, but I hope they are doing well, as if they disappear they will be sorely missed. Wait … now it's working for me again. Their IP is 213.40.196.64 in case it's a DNS issue. I'll be watching to see … bizarre.

Some of you may have noticed that The Register has been absent from computer screens the last couple of days.

An “administrative error” from PSI Net Europe , our DNS record-keeper, was to blame. On December 24, a PSI Net operative wrongly deleted us from its customer records and detagged our website address with Nominet.

If it had been an act of deliberate sabotage, the timing could not have been better. Although we were aware that there was a problem with the Web site on Christmas Day, and we knew the cause of the problem on Boxing Day early afternoon, we were unable to get PSI Net or Nominet to do anything about it until 6PM GMT this evening. The Christmas break has taken on a new meaning for us. It has also brought home to us how vulnerable web sites are, if we – a relatively big name – can be paralysed by the slip of a bureacrat's pen.

We are awaiting a report from PSI Net, which maintained our DNS records for more than three years without incident until December 24, to identify how this mistake occurred.

In the meantime we wish to apologise for any convenience to readers, advertisers and ecommerce partners. ®'

– by JoeBlow

Nice(3:16pm EST Thu Dec 27 2001)Well, that explains it. I figured that once we posted this they would be back together. Perhaps I should have hurried up the posting yesterday so that they would come back online sooner.

It's kind of like when you are waiting for a phone call all day, head to the bathroom, and then it rings. – by RobGeek